Monday, December 26, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Save Our Country
To All My Valued Employees,
There have been some rumblings around the office about the future of this company, and more specifically, your job. As you know, the economy has changed for the worse and presents many challenges. However, the good news is this:
The economy doesn't pose a threat to your job. What does threaten your job however, is the changing political landscape in this country.
However, let me tell you some little tidbits of fact which might help you decide what is in your best interests.
First, while it is easy to spew rhetoric that casts employers against employees, you have to understand that for every business owner there is a Back Story. This back story is often neglected and overshadowed by what you see and hear. Sure, you see me park my Mercedes outside. You've seen my big home at last years Christmas party. I'm sure all these flashy icons of luxury conjure up some idealized thoughts about my life.
However, what you don't see is the BACK STORY:
I started this company 28 years ago. At that time, I lived in a 300 square foot studio apartment for 3 years. My entire living apartment was converted into an office so I could put forth 100% effort into building a company, which by the way, would eventually employ you.
My diet consisted of Ramen Pride noodles because every dollar I spent went back into this company. I drove a rusty Toyota Corolla with a defective transmission. I didn't have time to date. Often times, I stayed home on weekends, while my friends went out drinking and partying. In fact, I was married to my business -- hard work, discipline, and sacrifice.
Meanwhile, my friends got jobs. They worked 40 hours a week and made a modest $50K a year and spent every dime they earned. They drove flashy cars and lived in expensive homes and wore fancy designer clothes. Instead of hitting the Nordstrom's for the latest hot fashion item, I was trolling through the discount store extracting any clothing item that didn't look like it was birthed in the 70's. My friends refinanced their mortgages and lived a life of luxury. I, however, did not. I put my time, my money, and my life into a business with a vision that eventually, some day, I too, will be able to afford these luxuries my friends supposedly had.
So, while you physically arrive at the office at 9am, mentally check in at about noon, and then leave at 5pm, I don't. There is no "off" button for me. When you leave the office, you are done and you have a weekend all to yourself. I unfortunately do not have the freedom. I eat, and breathe this company every minute of the day. There is no rest. There is no weekend.
There is no happy hour. Every day this business is attached to my hip like a 1 year old special-needs child. You, of course, only see the fruits of that garden -- the nice house, the Mercedes, the vacations... you never realize the Back Story and the sacrifices I've made.
Now, the economy is falling apart and I, the guy that made all the right decisions and saved his money, have to bail-out all the people who didn't.
The people that overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed a decade of my life for.
Yes, business ownership has its benefits but the price I've paid is steep and not without wounds.
Unfortunately, the cost of running this business, and employing you, is starting to eclipse the threshold of marginal benefit and let me tell you
why:
I am being taxed to death and the government thinks I don't pay enough. I have state taxes. Federal taxes. Property taxes. Sales and use taxes.
Payroll taxes. Workers compensation taxes. Unemployment taxes. Taxes on taxes. I have to hire a tax man to manage all these taxes and then guess what? I have to pay taxes for employing him.
Government mandates and regulations and all the accounting that goes with it, now occupy most of my time. On Oct 15th, I wrote a check to the US Treasury for $288,000 for quarterly taxes. You know what my "stimulus"
check was?
Zero.. Nada. Zilch.
The question I have is this: Who is stimulating the economy?
Me, the guy who has provided 14 people good paying jobs and serves over 2,200,000 people per year with a flourishing business? Or, the single mother sitting at home pregnant with her fourth child waiting for her next welfare check?
Obviously, government feels the latter is the economic stimulus of this country.
The fact is, if I deducted (Read: Stole) 50% of your paycheck you'd quit and you wouldn't work here. I mean, why should you? That's nuts. Who wants to get rewarded only 50% of their hard work? Well, I agree which is why your job is in jeopardy.
Here is what many of you don't understand ... to stimulate the economy you need to stimulate what runs the economy.
Had suddenly government mandated to me that I didn't need to pay taxes, guess what? Instead of depositing that $288,000 into the Washington black-hole, I would have spent it, hired more employees, and generated substantial economic growth. My employees would have enjoyed the wealth of that tax cut in the form of promotions and better salaries. But you can forget it now.
When you have a comatose man on the verge of death, you don't defibrillate and shock his thumb thinking that will bring him back to life, do you? Or, do you defibrillate his heart? Business is at the heart of America and always has been. To restart it, you must stimulate it, not kill it.
Suddenly, the power brokers in Washington believe the poor of America are the essential drivers of the American economic engine. Nothing could be further from the truth and this is the type of change you can keep.
So where am I going with all this?
It's quite simple.
If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, my reaction will be swift and simple. I'll fire you. I'll fire your co-workers. You can then plead with the government to pay for your mortgage, your SUV, and your child's future. Frankly, it isn't my problem any more.
Then, I will close this company down, move to another country, and retire.
You see, I'm done. I'm done with a country that penalizes the productive and gives to the unproductive. My motivation to work and to provide jobs will be destroyed, and with it, will be my citizenship.
So, if you lose your job, it won't be at the hands of the economy; it will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this country, steamrolled the constitution, and will have changed its landscape forever.
If that happens, you can find me sitting on a beach, retired, and with no employees to worry about....
Signed, THE BOSS
There have been some rumblings around the office about the future of this company, and more specifically, your job. As you know, the economy has changed for the worse and presents many challenges. However, the good news is this:
The economy doesn't pose a threat to your job. What does threaten your job however, is the changing political landscape in this country.
However, let me tell you some little tidbits of fact which might help you decide what is in your best interests.
First, while it is easy to spew rhetoric that casts employers against employees, you have to understand that for every business owner there is a Back Story. This back story is often neglected and overshadowed by what you see and hear. Sure, you see me park my Mercedes outside. You've seen my big home at last years Christmas party. I'm sure all these flashy icons of luxury conjure up some idealized thoughts about my life.
However, what you don't see is the BACK STORY:
I started this company 28 years ago. At that time, I lived in a 300 square foot studio apartment for 3 years. My entire living apartment was converted into an office so I could put forth 100% effort into building a company, which by the way, would eventually employ you.
My diet consisted of Ramen Pride noodles because every dollar I spent went back into this company. I drove a rusty Toyota Corolla with a defective transmission. I didn't have time to date. Often times, I stayed home on weekends, while my friends went out drinking and partying. In fact, I was married to my business -- hard work, discipline, and sacrifice.
Meanwhile, my friends got jobs. They worked 40 hours a week and made a modest $50K a year and spent every dime they earned. They drove flashy cars and lived in expensive homes and wore fancy designer clothes. Instead of hitting the Nordstrom's for the latest hot fashion item, I was trolling through the discount store extracting any clothing item that didn't look like it was birthed in the 70's. My friends refinanced their mortgages and lived a life of luxury. I, however, did not. I put my time, my money, and my life into a business with a vision that eventually, some day, I too, will be able to afford these luxuries my friends supposedly had.
So, while you physically arrive at the office at 9am, mentally check in at about noon, and then leave at 5pm, I don't. There is no "off" button for me. When you leave the office, you are done and you have a weekend all to yourself. I unfortunately do not have the freedom. I eat, and breathe this company every minute of the day. There is no rest. There is no weekend.
There is no happy hour. Every day this business is attached to my hip like a 1 year old special-needs child. You, of course, only see the fruits of that garden -- the nice house, the Mercedes, the vacations... you never realize the Back Story and the sacrifices I've made.
Now, the economy is falling apart and I, the guy that made all the right decisions and saved his money, have to bail-out all the people who didn't.
The people that overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed a decade of my life for.
Yes, business ownership has its benefits but the price I've paid is steep and not without wounds.
Unfortunately, the cost of running this business, and employing you, is starting to eclipse the threshold of marginal benefit and let me tell you
why:
I am being taxed to death and the government thinks I don't pay enough. I have state taxes. Federal taxes. Property taxes. Sales and use taxes.
Payroll taxes. Workers compensation taxes. Unemployment taxes. Taxes on taxes. I have to hire a tax man to manage all these taxes and then guess what? I have to pay taxes for employing him.
Government mandates and regulations and all the accounting that goes with it, now occupy most of my time. On Oct 15th, I wrote a check to the US Treasury for $288,000 for quarterly taxes. You know what my "stimulus"
check was?
Zero.. Nada. Zilch.
The question I have is this: Who is stimulating the economy?
Me, the guy who has provided 14 people good paying jobs and serves over 2,200,000 people per year with a flourishing business? Or, the single mother sitting at home pregnant with her fourth child waiting for her next welfare check?
Obviously, government feels the latter is the economic stimulus of this country.
The fact is, if I deducted (Read: Stole) 50% of your paycheck you'd quit and you wouldn't work here. I mean, why should you? That's nuts. Who wants to get rewarded only 50% of their hard work? Well, I agree which is why your job is in jeopardy.
Here is what many of you don't understand ... to stimulate the economy you need to stimulate what runs the economy.
Had suddenly government mandated to me that I didn't need to pay taxes, guess what? Instead of depositing that $288,000 into the Washington black-hole, I would have spent it, hired more employees, and generated substantial economic growth. My employees would have enjoyed the wealth of that tax cut in the form of promotions and better salaries. But you can forget it now.
When you have a comatose man on the verge of death, you don't defibrillate and shock his thumb thinking that will bring him back to life, do you? Or, do you defibrillate his heart? Business is at the heart of America and always has been. To restart it, you must stimulate it, not kill it.
Suddenly, the power brokers in Washington believe the poor of America are the essential drivers of the American economic engine. Nothing could be further from the truth and this is the type of change you can keep.
So where am I going with all this?
It's quite simple.
If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, my reaction will be swift and simple. I'll fire you. I'll fire your co-workers. You can then plead with the government to pay for your mortgage, your SUV, and your child's future. Frankly, it isn't my problem any more.
Then, I will close this company down, move to another country, and retire.
You see, I'm done. I'm done with a country that penalizes the productive and gives to the unproductive. My motivation to work and to provide jobs will be destroyed, and with it, will be my citizenship.
So, if you lose your job, it won't be at the hands of the economy; it will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this country, steamrolled the constitution, and will have changed its landscape forever.
If that happens, you can find me sitting on a beach, retired, and with no employees to worry about....
Signed, THE BOSS
Monday, July 4, 2011
July 4, 1776, 365 Days a Year
I wish everyone had this much patriotism year round. Why must it only come out once a year? If you are this proud to be an American only on the 4th of July, you should really reconsider your views. Being American is not a once every 365 days type of thing. It is a life-long devotion to the liberties, freedoms, and natural rights we are born with. However, these rights do not come easily and should not be taken for granted.
The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not
-Thomas Jefferson
Democracy and the freedoms gained due to such a form of government are not a given. They can be as easily taken away as they are granted. Wearing red, white, and blue one day a year does not make you a patriot. Regardless of political views, stand up for what you believe in. This country needs more activism or the natural rights that appear to be given, can just as easily be taken away. The spirit of our founding fathers needs to be revitalized or I greatly fear the future of our great country. Be active. Get involved.
In closing, thank you to all who serve our country. Your sacrifice is something all Americans should be forever grateful of.
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GO AMERICA
The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not
-Thomas Jefferson
Democracy and the freedoms gained due to such a form of government are not a given. They can be as easily taken away as they are granted. Wearing red, white, and blue one day a year does not make you a patriot. Regardless of political views, stand up for what you believe in. This country needs more activism or the natural rights that appear to be given, can just as easily be taken away. The spirit of our founding fathers needs to be revitalized or I greatly fear the future of our great country. Be active. Get involved.
In closing, thank you to all who serve our country. Your sacrifice is something all Americans should be forever grateful of.
GO AMERICA
Friday, April 15, 2011
This. Is. Michigan.
Yes. It is over four and a half months until official kickoff, but with the spring game this weekend, I cannot help but get a little, and by little I mean extremely excited about the upcoming football season. No other sport quite does it for me like football. If you would have asked the ten year old version of me what my favorite sport was, I most certainly would have responded basketball. But over the years, basketball and I have slowly drifted further apart. Football took advantage of that opening and for the last eight years, has been my sport.
Ever since my father took me to Spartan Stadium (he's an alum) as an eleven year old, I experienced the greatness of football Saturdays in college towns. I lived for those crisp October afternoons with the leaves slowly changing, spent tossing a football with my father on our way to the stadium. As I grew older, my passion for football and its culture intensified. I can think of no place I would rather be on any given Saturday in the fall than in Ann Arbor, preparing to walk to the Big House (I guess any SEC school would probably work just fine too). It honestly is one of my few regrets about attending Hope. I did not feel the connection to the team or the school as I would have at any larger institution. Sure, they did play football games here on Saturdays, but it just wasn't the same. My vain attempts at even tailgaiting here could not recreate the experience of a football Saturday in Ann Arbor. I rarely stayed for more than a quarter, nearly always opting to head home and watch whatever game was on television.
As each new season nears, I always get the same feeling. This is our year. This year is no exception. There is just something special about football. Each and every game matters. One loss wrecks conference and national championship hopes. As the upcoming months move on, football is that much closer. I can almost smell the late summer air on that first day of the season. It's something special.
Friday, April 8, 2011
"A Tradition Unlike Any Other"
In case, you've been living under a rock the past few days, it is officially Masters weekend. While I have always loved playing golf and the culture surrounding it, it has not been until recent years that I can say I truly enjoy watching golf on television. I cannot wait for weekends when I am thirty, forty, fifty, and older, spent sitting in front of the television enjoying a libation or two and taking in one of the world's most beautiful sports. There is just something relaxing, something wholesome about it.
Things I Enjoy About the Masters at Augusta National
Things I Enjoy About the Masters at Augusta National
- The Theme Song
Just like the golf, there is something pristine and beautiful about this song and the simple combination of the piano and flute coming together for a beautiful melody. It flat out just sounds like spring and seems to mirror the sounds of that first round out on the golf course.
- The Tradition
There are just so many: the green jacket, the near impossible task of acquiring passes, and best of all, Rickie Fowler being told to turn his hat forward at Thursday's press conference. It embodies tradition, which I am a huge supporter of. Things rarely change. Until recently, the waiting list for passes dated back to 1971. This isn't something anybody and their brother can attend. Attending the Masters, even if only for a practice round, ranks quite high on my bucket list.
It seems there is no other place where tradition and in a greater sense, the integrity of the game of golf, are as well kept as at Augusta National. In an age where even the longest held traditions have crumbled to political correctness, it is inspiring to see an organization stick to its roots (however misguided you may believe them to be) as Augusta National Golf Club. And don't even get me started with the green jacket...such symbolism and recognition with the Masters. Many a time I have stumbled upon a green sportcoat at various resale shops, only to place it back on the rack each and every time. If I haven't won it over the four days at Augusta, I don't feel fit to wear it. Just another instance of the amount of respect and integrity that is showcased at the Masters.
And finally, the memories (two of my favorites)
- While not the biggest fan of Lefty, this shot on 13 in 2010 took an incredible amount of courage and probably some stupidity, two traits I admire out on the course. The announcer captures it perfectly when he states "this might be the tournament". Truly a game changing performance. I really cannot explain how I react to this video, other than that it encourages me to try any shot on the golf course, although probably not with the same result. Absolutely incredible.
- Granted, I wasn't alive for this one, but Jack's win in 1986 is still every bit inspiring. At the age of 46, the Golden Bear seemed a bit outdated for the tournament. But his back nine 30 won Nicklaus his sixth Masters. 25 years later here in 2011, will we see another comeback like Jack's. While I am all for the young guns on the tour, it always makes me proud to see someone like Fred Couples on the leaderboard.
With two days left in the Masters, I can only imagine what is in store. Will number 75 yield as much magic as number 50 did in 1986? Time will only tell. But that is the thing at Augusta National....time seems to stand still. Things have not changed much, if at all, over the years. Unlike many other events, the Masters has stood the test of time. I cannot wait to walk the course someday, taking in every last moment.
"My goodness. There is life in the old Bear yet."
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Twelve Hours Out of Mackinaw City
Right now, I am four hours and twenty eight minutes out of Mackinaw City. Nearly my entire being wants to be about forty eight minutes out of Mackinaw City back home in Petoskey. I don't know what it is. College is coming to an end in five weeks; times are changing. No matter how fast everything is moving around me, time always seems to slow down up north. Petoskey has been the one constant in my life. I can almost taste that first Oberon during a late night round of golf, can almost feel the crisp cool water of Walloon Lake, and can almost hear Neil Young playing from the stereo on the back deck. Everything associated with summer and Petoskey is quite close.
However, summer means that my life is going to change. The stability of college will be removed as I hopefully join the workforce. What I wouldn't give to be Bob Seger hopping on his Honda 1100 in Rochester, Minnesota (which is twelve hours out of Mackinaw City) without a care in the world. Nothing but Mother Nature and the open road. No meetings, no computer, no cellphone. Life would be so simple. Petoskey is as close as I get to that freedom, that simplicity. I would be more than happy spending the rest of my life cleaning golf clubs and caddying at Bay View and enjoying each and every summer night. That would be the life.
However, summer means that my life is going to change. The stability of college will be removed as I hopefully join the workforce. What I wouldn't give to be Bob Seger hopping on his Honda 1100 in Rochester, Minnesota (which is twelve hours out of Mackinaw City) without a care in the world. Nothing but Mother Nature and the open road. No meetings, no computer, no cellphone. Life would be so simple. Petoskey is as close as I get to that freedom, that simplicity. I would be more than happy spending the rest of my life cleaning golf clubs and caddying at Bay View and enjoying each and every summer night. That would be the life.
Stood alone on a mountain top
Starin' out at the great divide
I could go east, I could go west
It was all up to me to decide
-"Roll Me Away" by Bob Seger
Monday, October 11, 2010
A Book a Month?
So, I'm making an attempt to read one non-school related book a month. We will see how far I get with it, but I figure it's worth a shot.
First choice is Donald Miller's A Million Miles In a Thousand Years. So far it is an engrossing read and amazingly relates quite closely with my creative writing class. In it, Miller is chronicling the process of turning his highly successful memoir Blue Like Jazz into a movie with the help of two writers. Miller constantly addresses the issue of what exactly it is that makes our life meaningful and it has got me thinking about the issue as well. What is it? The relationships, the people, the things, the money...? To tell you the truth, I really am not quite sure, but Miller has me thinking about it.
"The truth is, if what we choose to do with our lives won't make a story meaningful, it won't make a life meaningful either"
First choice is Donald Miller's A Million Miles In a Thousand Years. So far it is an engrossing read and amazingly relates quite closely with my creative writing class. In it, Miller is chronicling the process of turning his highly successful memoir Blue Like Jazz into a movie with the help of two writers. Miller constantly addresses the issue of what exactly it is that makes our life meaningful and it has got me thinking about the issue as well. What is it? The relationships, the people, the things, the money...? To tell you the truth, I really am not quite sure, but Miller has me thinking about it.
"The truth is, if what we choose to do with our lives won't make a story meaningful, it won't make a life meaningful either"
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